Case Kontula: Participation pilot for the entrepreneurs of the Kontula mall

In November and December 2021, we experimented with various ways to reach the entrepreneurs of Kontula Mall and offered them different participation modes.

First, we distributed a leaflet about our pilot and ways to get involved to all the entrepreneurs in the mall. The leaflet was written in five languages: Arabic, Bengali, English, plain Finnish (selkosuomi), and Turkish. Shortly after the leaflet was distributed, we received emails from two entrepreneurs in the area.

Four entrepreneurs representing three different language groups came to our outreach at Kontula Library, where we also had Arabic and Turkish interpreters and a remote Bengali interpreter. Interpretation and information in Kurdish were requested. It was good that our Arabic interpreter also knew Kurdish.

Tietopaketti ostarin suunnittelusta oli käännetty viidelle kielelle. Niitä jaettiin kirjaston päivystyksessä ja myöhemmin kierroksilla ostarilla. — An information package about the planning of the mall was translated into five languages. It was handed out during outreach at the library and later during rounds at the mall.

In the following weeks, we visited the businesses with Turkish, Arabic/Kurdish, and Bengali interpreters to distribute the information pack and offered help answering the questionnaire. The information pack was translated into five languages: Arabic, Bengali, English, plain Finnish, and Turkish.

A map survey (read more about the survey here), co-developed with local bridge builders and one entrepreneur, was translated into six languages: Arabic, Bengali, English, plain Finnish, Soranî and Turkish. The questionnaire was designed to be completed independently or as an assisted online questionnaire and could be used as an interview tool. (read more about the respondents here)

Kuvakaappaus bengalinkielisestä karttakyselystä — Respondents were also able to read each other’s responses on the map. Here is survey in Bengali, showing a response in Turkish. This is how multilingualism became visible in our experiment.

We visited over 20 shops in three visit rounds. The language skills of the interpreters were the criterion for selecting the entrepreneurs. Another factor limiting the visits was the prevailing and fluctuating coronavirus situation. Encounters had to be carefully considered.

The visits were carried out at quite different times: in the middle of the day, in the evening, and on a public holiday. The mid-day round with a Turkish interpreter was the most successful. After lunch, the restaurant owners also had time to sit down and chat. The evening tour with an Arabic and Kurdish interpreter was challenging for restaurant owners and hairdressers. A tour with a Bengali interpreter was arranged for Independence Day. All of the Bengali-speaking entrepreneurs’ businesses were open, but the problem was that in several places the business owner was not present and the employees did not want to answer for them.

It was a shame we couldn’t do more rounds at different times in this experiment. However, many essential insights came from these encounters and the questionnaire responses. Still, not everyone interested in participating may have been able to speak up now. A survey was also desired to be widely addressed to entrepreneurs and customers.

You can read more about the experience of the experiment here: It takes footwork, encounter and interpretation and Entrepreneurship is about inclusion in place and communities.